Had a sunny day for my ride south out of Denmark into Germany. Stopped when tired at a place called Neumunster which had a large youth hostel and a girl at reception who spoke good English from her former exchange student days in Tennessee. 26 Euros including a nice breakfast.
Took off the next morning and had another good days ride to Nijmegen in south Netherlands. Couldn't find a cheap hotel so crashed at the Mercure right beside the railway station with a window overlooking the parking station.
The bikes visible in this picture are just half the total, there is another level below ground underneath this one.
On my way, passed the 8,000 mile mark.
Left Nijmegen and rode into Belgium where passed through an enormous tropical thunderstorm. All the overpass bridges were full of bikers parking and putting on their wet weather gear.
Stopped just south of Brussels at the village of Waterloo famous as the 1815 battlefield when Wellington and his allies defeated Napoleon.
There is a huge mound with a lion statue on the top beside the battlefield.
My hotel was right beside this mound.
The night before the battle there was a heavy downpour and Wellington had the advantage of slightly higher ground. The French cavalry charged through the mud up hill and the British infantry formed squares three men deep with fixed bayonets. The horses baulked at breaking through this barrier and the cavalry impotently rode around seeking a weak spot whilst being picked off by the infantry fire. This was the hill where the squares were formed
After several charges and re-groupings Napoleon was forced to deploy his reserve force, the Republican Guards, his most experienced and battle hardened troops. They advance through the mud up this road.
Central to the battlefield was a farmhouse and both Wellington and Napoleon realised its importance. Sustained French attacks eventually succeeded in breaching a gate and 100 French soldiers surged inside. A heroic effort managed to close the gate on the attackers. The only survivor was a young drummer boy who had lost his drum.
The two forces were evenly matched and the outcome was not clearly decided in Wellington's favour until the arrival of a Prussian general and his troops late in the day.
Moved on to Northern France on another rainy day to stop at a cheap hotel, The Premiere Classe at Amiens on the Somme.
Passed an Australian memorial to the First division at Poziers along the way.
The famous town if Villers Brettonneux is close to Amiens and just outside the town on "Hill104" is a large WW1 Australian war cemetery
Inscribed on the walls of the memorial are almost 11,000 names. These are the names of those whose remains could not be found or identified.
After the war most of the nearby villages were completely devastated and some Victorian community groups raised funds to help the people of Villers Brettonneux to re-establish their school. Strong links were forged and remain to this day.
Back in Amiens, visited the gothic cathedral which is the tallest in France and was constructed to house the head of John the Baptist. (retrieved by one of the Crusades)
Also visited the house of Jules Verne. (Around the world in 80 days, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)
It was covered in scaffolding so this picture is taken from the web. It is a marvelous house with lots of interesting artifacts and imaginative paintings and fixtures.
Moved on in lovely warm sunshine to the Eurotunnel at Calais where passed through French and English immigration and rode straight on to the railway platform and into the train.
The train has an entrance car and an exit car. You ride/drive in the entrance car, go along the train inside as far as you can and park.
The train started as soon as it was loaded and I stood next to the bike and chatted with another biker who was on a day trip to Belgium to stock up with cheap cigarettes. 30 Minutes later we were in England and rode forward and out into warm sunshine.Rode north and had a break near Dover.
Camped at a camping ground by the seaside at Camber that night and read in a cafe newspaper the next day that it was the hottest day of the year.
Weather continued warm and sunny for a ride along the south coast to Littlehampton where 16 pounds got me a bed in a 4 bed hostel dormitory. Overnight the heat caused thunderstorms and heavy rain which happily had cleared by morning.
Next day headed away from the coast into Jane Austen country and toured her house in Chawton.
It was here sitting at a small coffee table that she wrote Mansfield park and adjusted the drafts of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. Her brother has a more grand house just down the lane.
Although her books were published in her lifetime, her fame was such that her funeral at Winchester Cathedral had only six attendees.
Along the way, passed through Arundel and saw it's fine castle.
Slept well in a dormitory with 9 other beds and got up the next day for a ride to Cheddar gorge
Stopped for a coffee at Wells where there is a cathedral and bishop's castle with moat and swans
The 'B' roads in England are lined with high hedges which makes you feel like you are riding through a green tunnel
Got to the gorge which is quite modest by European standards but dramatic for England.
Long ride the next day to Wales. Was happy to find motorcycles do not have to pay a toll on the bridge over the Forth estuary.
Struck a rapport with the manager when he revealed that he spends three months a year at Na Trang in Vietnam. Got a room to myself. Slept well and next day did a three hour walk around the hill to the coast and back.
Had an unadventfull ride on the three hour ferry crossing to Ireland. Stopped overnight in Waterford and the following day rode to the Cliffs of Moher.
Turned south and kept going until 4pm and a hotel in Rath Keale.
So that was my last full day of touring for this trip. I am now in Kinsale, back where I started in late March. Tomorrow I will return the bike to Martin's barn for storage and on Monday catch the bus to Dublin for my flight back to Thailand on Tuesday.
